Tae Kwon Do

Hey Gung Gung,

Tuesdays are Tae Kwon Do days. The first half hour of the class is fitness. We do running, kicking, and jumping exercises. The later half of the class is instruction based where we learn new moves. The fitness part is really exhausting; I've never felt so out of breath and tired as I feel when I'm doing that part. I also found out that we are going to be doing our belt tests in 2 weeks (so I might be a yellow belt soon)!

Anyways, other than being tiring, it was a lot of fun!

I hope that you and por por have been trying to do some of the exercises! Mom bought me some bananas, and they make me think of you and por por trying out the exercises with bananas for weights!

Love you,

Amanda

Notes from Me

Hey Gung Gung,

I'm going to tag a bunch of posts from me talking about some of the exercises I'm doing (like we'll be in this together), and I'm going to e-mail every once and a while to ask you about what things you and Por Por have been trying out.

Today I had to do three exercises for physio for my knee. I had to do this silly one where i have to lie on the ground and roll an exercise ball up and down the wall with my leg (bending and straightening out my knee) to stretch my hamstrings. Then I have to stretch my tensor fasciae latae (a funny band that connects to my knee from a muscle close to my hip) by lying on my back and crossing my legs so that one leg pushes the other one down on the ground. The last exercise I have to do gets me to do a lunge while stretching over my head. They're all a little bit difficult for me, but I know that doing them regularly will help my knee.

Anyways, back to my homework. I hope that you and Por Por have been trying out the exercises. It would be great to hear that you've been walking around the mall like your friend. That sounds like a good workout! If you do a little bit every day, then eventually you will be able to work up to that. Maybe one weekend when you're ready all three of us can go to T&T supermarket (a giant chinese supermarket), and we can pick out some delicious food!

Love you,

Amanda

Beginner Exercise Plan

Hey Gung Gung,

Remember to start every exercise session with a warm up (this is slow exercise, like a 5-10 minute walk around the house), and to end all exercise sessions with a cool down exercise (another slow exercise).

STRENGTH EXERCISES: 2 times a week

• Step ups - do on the first stair, hold onto the railing, 10-15 for each foot
• Upper back rows - wrap an exercise band around the railing post
• Chair squats - use the walker (locked) in front of you to hold onto until you are comfortable doing this exercise without it (but keep it nearby anyways)
• Countertop push ups
• Calf raises - make sure you have been practicing your balance first, hold on tight to the railing
• Lateral raises - start with bananas, and move up to soupcans

BALANCE EXERCISES: 3 times a week
Click here - This is the website with the photos on how to do these things

• Standing with feet together
• Standing Semi-Tandem
• Weight transfer side-to-side
• Assisted 1-legged stand (holding chair or counter)

CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING: 3 times a week
Mall walking, stationary bike, treadmill for 10-30 minutes (start with the time you can manage and work up to 30 minutes over 1- 2 months)Your intensity should feel moderate/somewhat hard or a 3 or 4 out of 10 on the BORG scale.

IMPORTANT!! Finish your cardiovascular training session with at least 5 minutes of gradual cool down. If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, you may need to cool down longer than 5 minutes.

Soupcan Tricep Kickbacks

Hey Gung Gung,

You and Por Por can do these exercises while sitting. In this video she is kneeling, but you can do the same thing while sitting in a chair (rest your other arm on your knee just like she does). You can use soup cans instead of weights. Start off with something really light (maybe a banana), and then work up to soupcans.

Mental Exercises

Hey Gung Gung,

Here are some links to help you exercise your brain!

Click Here - for online Sudoku

Click Here - for online crosswords

Click Here - for online Ken Ken

Have fun!

Kitchen Counter Push Up

Hey Gung Gung,

This exercise is for you to build strength in your arms and your core. The more practice that you get, the stronger your ab muscles will be. This will help your posture!

Balance Exercises

Hey Gung Gung,

This is just a reminder of where to find the information about balance exercises:

Click here

Remember to start with the easy ones and only move onto the harder ones once you feel stable with the simple ones. They're harder then they look!